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business. union bank. >> and now, "bbc world news america." >> this is bbc world news america. i'm katty kay. iraq fighting to keep their land from isis in a battle that could be felt around the world. the political dynamic and is deepening sectarian divides. and eventually, it may well be felt a long way from here in europe or the united states. >> this british doctor died in a syrian jail. officials say he committed suicide but prisoners tell the bbc they doubted. it is snowing down under. not the typical aussie scene, but could climate change makes being a thing of the past.

welcome to our viewers on public television in america and also around the globe. iraq has to postpone his next session of moment until august which means the political crisis will continue for at least another month. the last thing the country can afford is isis fighters continue their push towards baghdad. many iraqi army soldiers have deserted and government forces are relying on the support of independent shia militia groups including one known as the league of the righteous. jeremy byrne has access to the group's spiritual leader. here is his report. >> drive 40 miles north of baghdad and you reach isis now calling itself the islamic heavy weapons supplied by the usa support shia militias that used to fight american and british troops. they stepped in when the iraqi army collapsed after isis.

the most powerful fighting group is the league of the righteous. they are armed and trained by iran. the men in the front-line positions as isis fighters were only 500 yards away. war is being the fought on hot and empty roads. what is going on here has repercussions not just across the country, but across the middle east. politicalging the dynamic and deepening sectarian divides. and eventually, it may well be felt a long way from here. in europe or the united states. commanders say they protect any iraqi against invaders but have warned local sunnis that anyone helping isis will be killed.

>> we have had phone calls of militants offering to surrender in exchange for their safety. the shows how terrified the militants are of us. is because of our expertise in urban and guerrilla warfare and the experience fighting against the americans and the british. >> these are their own pictures, they say, of men in action recently against isis. they also are calling syria from the regime side. >> syria and iraq are in the same more. --s am same war. if our guys had not got the experience, they would be in baghdad and we wouldn't even be sitting here now.

>> at local checkpoints, the police defer to the militias. most people here are shia muslims that believe isis would kill them. they are vampires that kill everybody. andcemen, army soldiers, they might even have the prophet amuse them. soldiers were coming to pick up food from this mosque. a fighter from a smaller shia militia spent years in american prisons in iraq for fighting the western occupation. >> a jewish israeli movement established to destroy iraq.

>> back down the highway in the capital, the paramilitary federal police handle much of the security. guns dominate this country. talk of a political deal to dilute the shia is getting nowhere. barak has religious and ethnic fractures a deep and by the day. >> not much in that report that gives you cause for optimism. afghan officials have released limoneira results for the countries presidential election today but they say no winner can be declared because millions of the votes are still being checked. a former world bank executive has a big lead. the country's former foreign minister has refused to accept the result, calling it a coup. karen allen has this report from kabul. this man be the next president of afghanistan? is too soon to know for sure but

preliminary results give him one million votes in the lead and what appears to be a dramatic turnaround. in round one, he trailed behind his rival. now that appears to have changed. authorities finally announcing the provision after lengthy delays. >> the doctor has 4,000,004 hundred 85800 and 88 votes. and his excellency has got 3 which is61300 and -- equal to 56.4%. >> it has been a hotly contested second-round race. rejecting the entire election

and having industrial scale fraud. in an attempt to end the deadlock and under pressure from the u.n., authorities have agreed your view votes from does -- 7000 polling stations. result couldf the have a destabilizing influence in a country where historically, political divisions have been expressed in ethnic terms. and despite calls for restraint, they feel more unsettled. >> that sense of unease is already being felt in washington. the authorities needing to take seriously the allegations of fraud. >> our focus is on encouraging a full and thorough review of all reasonable allegations of irregularities. essentialink that is in ensuring the afghan people have confidence in the integrity of the elect oral process. final weeks until the result is announced, afghanistan

is under pressure to remain vigilant and make the selection work. on the preliminary election results, i am joined by afghanistan's ambassador to france and also to canada. resultget an election out of this, the country can rally behind it. think we can give afghans hope. weeks or more,wo if there is a decision to prolong the waiting to accommodate the audit and make sure that we have a fair and audit.e this would be acceptable to the great majority of afghans. one is to make sure the mechanisms that will be used is thoroughlyjob

and fairly as possible. >> when you're one of the candidates saying that this result is the result of a coup, it doesn't bode very well, does it? -- we havesomething not use the word coup over the last few weeks but he is open about what is happening, where are the fault lines and where can we solve this problem. i think that his position has been clear. i think the international community at some stage realize that he is speaking responsibly. his position now is being recognized by the u.s.. >> you sound very sanguine about the political situation after so many people turned out, expectations so high and the violence was pretty low. and we had a good news moment in the first round. it looks like we are in a position of almost political crisis.

>> i think they will come to the realization that everyone's fate is tied to the final result and this result has to be fair and credible. i think afghan politicians are going to do everything possible knowing that -- knowing that there are spoilers amongst us. critical that we have a good count of the vote. >> us look beyond the selection. how optimistic are you about the future of your country at the moment? i am cautiously optimistic and i can see the dark side of the future of afghanistan if we don't do this or if we don't do that. also can see what every afghans desire is for the country. after 35 or 40 years of instability and all kinds of unfavorable conditions.

need to do is make sure the international community and that afghan politicians listen to the people because of think the people have spoken already. it is probably something else and the audit will have to figure that out. >> a quick look at other news now from around the world. reporting to have escaped from boko haram, there were among 68 abducted last month in the northeast state. the group is still holding more than 200 schoolgirls that were abducted back in april. seismologists say a magnitude 7.1 earthquake has shaken southern mexico and dozens of homes have been damaged. butquake was felt strongly the u.s. geological survey says it was sent at about 35 kilometers southwest of the pacific coast.

two men in prison with a british doctor in syria has spoken for the first time about his death and they have cast doubt on the official syrian explanation. the doctor volunteered to go and treat casualties of the civil war. he died last year after being detained by the syrian insistent. officials that he committed suicide the the corner her there is evidence of bruising on his body. our international correspondent has this exclusive report. father and husband, a surge the volunteered to work in syria. but he was arrested by government forces and one year later, was dead. his family came looking for answers. >> we don't believe that. we want to know what has happened. my brother did not kill himself, he was murdered.

>> the bbc has heard new evidence that may support the family's case. from two men that knew him in jail. they don't want to show their faces but we have verified their identities. us how they used to be him and hang them up by the hands. have a beat them with a stick and the beating was concentrated on his legs. >> istanbul has become a temporary home to thousands of syrians. it is here that we have heard from two men that say they were in prison with him in damascus and new him well. speaking anonymously to protect their families, they both describe how the british medic gave treatment to other inmates and taught them english. a man who wasribe positive and strong. he had no reason at all the kill himself.

>> we don't think about that. why would he think to kill himself back up >> the men were all held in damascus. the doctor was told he would be released but the bbc is told he was taken away by the intelligence services instead. five days later, he was dead. something in the window or in the hall. and committed suicide. >> the former prisoners believe he was killed because he kept a diary of how he was treated and what he saw. >> he saw people dying in front of him and saw him a seated skeletons. he saw the brutality. he saw everything. they kill him for the things that he saw.

they did not want anyone to know. >> the court has to hear this new evidence and the family wants a man to testify. proving beyond doubt what really happened is likely to be long and painful for everyone involved. >> trying to find out what really happened. you're watching bbc world news america. pope francis begs forgiveness from catholics sexually abused by members of the clergy. we speak with one of those inside that vatican meeting today. australia's high court today blocked the government from transferring a vote of 100 and 53 asylum-seekers back to sri lanka. rights groups have raised alarm about their safety. >> into the remote and treacherous waters to australia's north have sailed thousands of asylum-seekers over the years, hoping for a new

life. following an election last september, the conservative government here promised to stem a steady flow of unauthorized arrivals coming by sea. official silence, the immigration minister said in a statement that those on board near the cocos islands in the indian ocean have been handed over to the sri lankan navy. their refugee claims having been rejected. the government says it will continue to act in accordance with international conventions. and to protect the safety of life at sea. they insist they want allow people smugglers to undermine australia's protection measures that are stopping the boat. right groups believe that australia is violating international law and the lives of those fleeing persecution could be in danger.

the question how the asylum applications of those near the cocos islands could have been thoroughly examined. asylum vesselan reached australia was six months ago. they point to the use of the military to troll the maritime borders and the deterrent effect . critics insist it is a wealthy country and australia could and should be more welcoming to those fleeing persecution. >> pope francis today begged forgiveness during his first ever meeting with victims of clerical sexual abuse. the pope also promised them that bishops will be held responsible if they fail to protect children. six joined pope francis for private mass and among them was peter saunders who was himself

abused i to priest as a child. he runs an organization in britain to help others. he joined me a short time ago. can you describe your meeting with pope francis to me at co >> as you can expect from a very ordinary person to suddenly find themselves sitting in a room with one of the most famous people in the world, and one of the most influential people in the world, looking in someone's quite a moving event. the subject matter is one that is very serious and very grim. i haven't taken the whole thing in yet. i'm still here tonight talking to you after a long day. i bumped into the pope a number he is a man i think

that means well, a man who is determined to bring change to the church. and i think he is a man who mistakess the very big , criminal mistakes that the church and the institution of the church has committed in the and doubtless around certain parts of the world, in some ways connected to. we are talking about a huge institution and i genuinely believe that this is a massive breath of fresh air and i hope he is given the time and the space and the support. like any institution, you have very good people. i believe his holiness the pope to be a good person. >> i know you have met other church officials and i was wondering what it was in the

pope's demeanor during the meetings you had with him. when you described as life-changing. what was it that made you think he is so since year? >> i don't know about you, and i'm looking down the barrel of a camera, but i find that if you really want to know somebody, you cannot beat looking them in contact and holding eye to see how they are reacting to what you're saying. and the pope had no difficulty holding eye contact and listening to what i said. what i said was really quite tough and difficult for me to say as the pope and for him to hear. i think he dealt with it extremely well and came across a very humble man, a man with a

great sense of humor. i started off a saying i am a cyclist and i wanted to be in london to finish the tour de france. and i had to toss a coin as to whether to come and visit him or whether to watch the tour and hear up to them after. >> i going to have to interrupt you there, we're out of time but that is a lovely meeting. thank you for sharing your experiences with us. 59 australian economists signed a letter urging the government to do more to tackle global warming. environmentalists say the record is evidence of the impact of climate change on australia but the conservative prime minister is skeptical and has pledged to abolish the very carbon taxes economist want to see imposed. >> snowing down under at last.

australians like to tell you they get more snow than switzerland. believe it or not, it's true. at least in terms of volume and not depth. year on recordst and an unseasonably warm start to the winter, flakes falling usually late. think there is any doubt we are experiencing climate change in the world. for theally important ski industry and we have been very successful developing adaptive strategies. >> that means snow machines. people say they provide a more consistent season. they are going to be needed. some climate scientists say the amount of real snow and australia's results -- resorts will drop by over 40%. >> it is still pretty viable whether an visibility

permitting. but the white stuff is increasingly artificial. and there are other climate issues in this country. >> most climate experts say extreme weather will become increasingly prevalent and will bring more floods like these in queensland for years to come. this year has already seen severe drought and many parts of the country. and bushfires will pose a growing threat. the prime minister is regarded by many as a climate change skeptic. climate change is real and we should take strong action against it. these fires are certainly not a function of climate change, just a function of life in australia. >> there will be more bushfires during his time in office, but one of the world's leading

global warming campaigners? he is not a fan that once described the science as absolute crap. >> i am not impressed with his views on climate. it is not a personal matter but we are way past time where it is responsible for a national leader to reject the science behind the climate crisis. biggest challenger civilization faces and we need to get on with solutions. >> does australia see it as the biggest priority at co if not skiing, at least on real snow. past?t be a thing of the >> it takes a brave man to talk to a camera and ski at the same time. that brings a program to a close. you can find out much more on our website. thanks for watching. i will see you back here tomorrow.

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captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> brown: a new wave of violence stokes escalated tensions in the middle east, as hamas launches rocket attacks and israel wages air strikes. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. gwen ifill is away. also ahead this monday, protests in california and washington, d.c., demonstrate the divide over what to do with a surge in undocumented immigrant children entering the u.s. plus, who's really benefiting from the g.i. bill? for-profit colleges or the vets looking for a quality education? >> we're not getting the investment that we wanted when we sent these men and women to school.